a little nothing dreamlet

I was chatting online with my friend L and we were sending each other TV episodes.

This is very plausible. I would do this in real life. So, it would be hard to know it was a dream.

Soundtrack: "It's Only when I Lose Myself" - Depeche Mode, GusGus remix

The Nymphos of Rocky Flats by Mario Acevedo

Felix Gomez went to Iraq a soldier and came back a vampire. Now he is a private investigator, trying to make a living and cope with his new situation and his lingering post-combat guilt. An out-of-the-blue request for help from an old friend will draw him deeply into a complex plot involving vampires, vampire hunters, thugs with guns, government secrets, and yes, the dangerous nymphomaniacs of Rocky Flats.

This book is pretty similar to Happy Hour of the Damned in tone, if you've read that one. If you like supernatural comedies with a bit of danger and sex thrown in, it's a great summer read. Three stars.

pickles

"We're tired of just reading your posts about books and dreams, LadyA!  Post about pickles!"

Well, okay, if my loyal fans insist.  :)

So, I concluded two more live pickle batches yesterday.  One batch is ginger cardamon beets.  I roasted them first and they were delicious.  The second batch is curried green tomatoes.  Having tried them both before and after I added the curry, I think that next time I would just make them with dill.

Both pickle presses are now open.  I believe my next batches will be sauerkraut (<lj user="dakotakym"> gave me her recipe) and another set of watermelon rind pickles.  Nom nom nom...   there are also some surplus bell peppers in the house which I think could be delicious pickled.

Also also, today is a day with no kombucha.  I haven't run out!  Far from it.  Just taking the day off from drinking it.  (Can you imagine the horror if I had it too often and got allergic?  Noooo!)  I will enjoy some more tomorrow.

Flesh and Spirit by Carol Berg

Okay, you though the last one had some wacked-out conspiraces? No way, man. This book is much, much stranger and spookier than Nymphos of Rocky Flats.

Valen is a criminal down on his luck. The companion he protected has wounded him and left him for dead, taking all his possessions except two - a secret stash of the drug he craves and a book that is more valuable than he can guess. He is rescued by kindly monks and vows to join their order. But inside the monastery, he stumbles onto a conspiracy with far-reaching implications. No, make that two conspiracies. What will happen when the brothers find out that he has a dangerous secret? No, make that three...

This book is set in a fantasy world, but it is far from your standard sword and sorcery tale. This is not an X-files type book - it doesn't just keep getting more and more complicated. Happily, there is only one viewpoint character and we stay with him through the whole book. The book does have a cliffhanger ending, alas, but it seems clear that it can be wrapped up in one more volume - convenient, since it's a duology. The second book is Breath and Bone. Recommended for all fans of fantasy.

ah, the beauty.

So, I was torn over whether to read Breaking Dawn, the triumphant and monstrously huge conclusion to Stephanie Meyer's Twilight epic. Then, I heard from omnia_mutantur about a long, hilariously funny recap that would tell me all I needed to know, without the pain, trauma, and disappointment of having to read another 500 pages of teen vampire angst and whining.

The recap is even better and funnier that I imagined.
For anyone else who might be in need:
http://cleolinda.livejournal.com/2008/08/02/

For those who have read the book (or the summary) and are hungry for more, here is a spoiler-riffic interview with Meyer:
http://www.twilightlexiconforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=22552&sid=c8cc128ad75009592871ed0b4144e7ca

I also want to mention that I recently found out that Stephanie Meyer is a Mormon, and I feel that information has deepened my understanding of her work.

And a lovely evening to all.